Abstract
With nearly 40 different master's and doctoral programs across a range of disciplines, assessment practices within Creighton University's Graduate School is not 'one size fits all.' While all graduate programs are required to have student learning outcomes, the methods by which these outcomes are assessed varies greatly across disciplines. The culture of assessment continues to evolve. Programs with specialized accreditation requirements, such as those in Nursing or Education, are required to provide evidence directly related to assessment of student learning and performance-based standards. When there are no formal external requirements, assessment of student learning is less structured. The Graduate School continues to provide support and structure to help guide and develop assessment work across its varied graduate programs. Graduate program directors submit an annual assessment report, which includes information on specific direct and indirect measures and criteria, assessment findings, and how those findings will be used to make decisions regarding curricular improvements. The Graduate School conducts an audit of the assessment reports to identify areas of need for faculty development. Workshops, one-on-one consultation, and other faculty development activities have been offered to assist program directors in their assessment efforts. This poster will provide a summary of graduate program assessment activities over the past three years, and outline the evolution of the culture of assessment for graduate programs. Information provided will include the number of graduate programs who submitted various components of the assessment report in fiscal years 2011-12 through 2013-14, samples of the evidence provided for each of the six graduate outcomes, examples of findings, examples of curriculum changes implemented as a result of the findings, and peer review scores.